Our elder Bible study from last month:
Duties of an Elder: Feeding the Flock
Biblical Terms
The word teach and its cognate nouns teaching and teacher are used in the NT mainly to denote the careful transmission of the tradition concerning Jesus Christ and the authoritative proclamation of God’s will to believers in light of that tradition. (See especially 1 Tim. 4:11, 2 Tim. 2:2; Acts 2:42; Rom. 12:7). (D. Moo)
The only means for true authority in preaching and daily Christian living is to utilize hermeneutics to wed our application as closely as possible to our interpretation and to make certain that our interpretation coheres with the thrust of the text. (G. Osborne)
Our subject and substance is the Word (2 Tim. 4:2) spoken to others so that they receive it not as the word of men but as the Word of God (1 Thess. 2:13). This requires hard word (2 Tim. 2:15; 1 Tim. 5:17).
The Priority of Feeding in Scripture
Jesus in His reinstatement of Peter John 21:17
Jesus in His commission to His disciples Matt. 28:20
All elders are required to be able to do this 1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:9
We are commanded to give attention to it in the church 1 Tim. 4:13
The Shepherds are rebuked, first and foremost, for failing to feed Ex. 34:2-4
Why else would the “teaching elder” be worthy of double honor? 1 Tim. 5:17
The Priority of Feeding in General
The health and growth of the sheep depends on their access to good food and clean water.
The church is built up in the truth as the truth is faithfully taught in the church.
The church is protected and guarded from error by becoming wise in sound doctrine.
Everything that believers do in the church and for the prosperity of the church is done as the Spirit leads them in the application of biblical teaching.
Biblical Texts
Matthew 28:19-20
1 Timothy 3:2; 4:13-16
2 Timothy 2:2, 15, 24-25; 3:16-4:2
Titus 1:9
1 Timothy 3:2
What does able to teach mean? It includes knowledge and ability: knowledge of the Bible and ability to transfer that knowledge.
The only other time this term is found is 2 Tim. 2:24 where its meaning is expanded in verses 25 and 26.
1 Timothy 4:13-16
These three things require the giving of attention.
The reading is seen in Luke 4:16-17 and Acts 13:15
The exhortation is the public appeal to the conscience and conduct of the hearers that follows the reading.
The teaching or the doctrine is the instructional content that comes from the reading and informs the exhortation.
2 Timothy 2:2
We must commit the teaching we have received to others who will teach it to others.
We are to do this in the presence of many witnesses.
“commit” carries the idea of entrusting something to another for safekeeping.
Ministry Maxim: I have precisely one lifetime to make certain the gospel survives and thrives in another generation – I must labor faithfully and invest wisely. J. Kitchen
Success in ministry is defined here along two measures. First, the accuracy of the message conveyed to another generation. Second, the ability of the next generation to pass that same message along accurately again. This is the pattern of life-to-life transference that measures the success of the church through the ages.
Titus 1:9
This describes the quality of spiritual stability, doctrinal dependability, anchored, not tossed to and fro.
The reason for this qualification is so that he may instruct and refute (two infinitives).
He must exhort in sound doctrine. Unsound, unhealthy, diseased doctrine is everywhere and must be refuted.
Reprove or convict signifies a presentation of truth/evidence so that the arguments of the opponent are beaten down and proven to be baseless.